Aso-Shimodajyō Station (阿蘇下田城駅, あそしもだじょうえき) is a railway station on the Minamiaso Railway Takamori Line in Minamiaso Village, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.[1] The station's former name (Aso Shimodajō Fureai Onsen) when written in kana has 16 characters, making it the fifth longest station name in Japan, along with Yanagawa Kibōnomori Kōen-mae Station on the Abukuma Express Line.[2] The station was renamed to Aso-Shimodajyō Station in July 2023, as the hot spring facilities at the station were shut down.[3]
Aso-Shimodajyō Station 阿蘇下田城駅 | |||||||||||
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 Station entrance in 2006 | |||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | Oaza Koyo, Minamiaso Village, Aso County, Kumamoto Prefecture Japan | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 32°50′40″N 131°01′29″E / 32.84435°N 131.02475°E | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | ■ Takamori Line | ||||||||||
| Distance | 7.2 km (from Tateno Station) | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 1 | ||||||||||
| Train operators | Minamiaso Railway | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | At-grade | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Status | Unmanned | ||||||||||
| Website | https://www.mt-torokko.com/information/route/aso-shimoda/ | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 1928 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Station layout
editThe station is unmanned, and has a single platform with one track. The station building has a castle-like appearance, reminiscent of Shimoda Castle, which was located in the vicinity during the Tensho era. Aso-Shimodajō Station used to have a mineral-free, indoor onsen, but it was shut down in 2016 due to damage caused by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake.
Usage
edit| Year | Average daily passengers |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 37 |
| 2012 | 43 |
| 2013 | 36 |
| 2014 | 31 |
| 2015 | 23 |
| 2016 | Service stopped |
History
edit- February 12, 1928 - opened as Aso-Shimoda Station (阿蘇下田駅).
- February 20, 1971 - the station became unmanned.
- April 1, 1986 - the Minamiaso Railway company took over operation of the Takamori line from Japanese National Railways.
- August 1, 1993 - the station was renamed Aso-Shimodajō-Fureai-Onsen Station (阿蘇下田城ふれあい温泉駅). A new station building with hot spring facilities was completed.
- April 14–16, 2016 - the Kumamoto Earthquake caused damage to bridges and tunnels on the Takamori line, and operations were suspended.[4]
- July 15, 2023 - The portion of the Minami Aso Railway Takamori Line between Tateno and Nakamatsu has been restored and all lines have resumed operation. The station name was changed to Aso-Shimodajyō Station (阿蘇下田城駅). [5]
References
edit- ^ "阿蘇下田城｜南阿蘇鉄道" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-08-20.
- ^ "阿蘇下田城ふれあい温泉駅 | 動画で見るニッポンみちしる | NHKアーカイブス". 動画で見るニッポンみちしる～新日本風土記アーカイブス～. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
- ^ "阿蘇下田城ふれあい温泉が阿蘇下田城に改称される｜鉄道ニュース｜2023年7月16日掲載｜鉄道ファン・railf.jp". 鉄道ファン・railf.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-09-12.
- ^ "南阿蘇鉄道の全線復旧は「5年程度」「65億円」…国交省が試算". レスポンス（Response.jp） (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-09-23.
- ^ "July 15 Timetable revision (all lines resume operation)". Minami Aso Railway. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
External links
edit- Official website (in Japanese)